Season of Mists
by Desert Willow
Summary: Set a few weeks after Dead and Gone. Why Eric didn't rescue her and what they plan on doing about it. "It still hurt, literally and figuratively, that he hadn’t come, and I didn’t want him to see that..."
1. Chapter 1

**Season of Mists**

**Chapter One**

_ Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?_

_ Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—_

--John Keats, "To Autumn"

* * *

I woke up to a cool arms sliding around my waist and a cool body pressed up against me. "How much sleep did you get?" my vampire murmured into my ear.

"A lot if you're awake," I replied, rolling over to look at Eric and his unfair perfection. The hidey-hole was rather cramped for his large frame but you couldn't tell by his appearance. It's hard to find a vampire with a case of bed head. On the other hand, I probably looked like hell after all of my tossing and turning.

"I know the days are shorter Sookie, but you've been sleeping a lot," he said, as concern crept onto his face. He was looking down on me while propped up on his arm, twirling random strands of my hair using his free hand.

"I didn't go to bed immediate after you did," I said defensively. "I got up, had some breakfast, did boring human things. It's nothing. It's just staying up with you has messed up my sleep schedule is all," I tried wave off his concerns. I attempted to roll over to look at the clock, but I could feel that pull at the stitches in my leg. "What time is it now?"

Eric noticed my wince, and he scowled. "It's 5:10. You're still healing. You shouldn't be back at work yet. If my being here is disrupting your life so much, I'll just have Pam watch the house and I let you get some sleep."

"Don't go. I like it when you are here." I held on to his arm a little tighter. "It relaxes me."

"A month ago, you didn't like it when I was around because you couldn't be sure of your feelings. This last week and a half you have had me over every night."

"If you have other things you need to do, don't let me stop you," I muttered. Gran would have whacked my knuckles if she had heard my surly tone. Truth was, while I didn't like that our weird bond mucked up my feelings for Eric, it did make me feel a whole lot better and gave me some peace. Who needs painkillers when you have a mystical blood bond?

"Don't worry about my affairs, lover. I'm taking care of what needs to be done." Eric was still playing with random strands of my hair. It contrasted oddly with his chilly tone. Lately, there had been a lot of odd tones in Eric's voice. I was getting the feeling that there was something big going on that Eric wasn't telling me…or maybe he was just being a vampire. I honestly didn't care.

Eric and I laid there for a bit, just enjoying the little bit of peace that came with him, but eventually he rolled onto his stomach to look directly down at me. I rolled on to my back to look at him. "If my understanding is correct, most humans in a relationship share their lives equally with each other."

"Yes…" I replied, unsure where he was going with this.

"On your next night off you should come to Shreveport instead of me driving down here."

"Or not...I don't wanna spend my time with you in Fangtasia," I grumbled. Sue me, but I know few people who like to spend their time watching women-and men-throw themselves at their boyfriend (or husband, or whatever the heck Eric was).

"We could just spend the evening at my house." This was the second time I had received an invitation to Eric's house and this time it was under better circumstances. It sounded almost like a proper invite.

"Maybe…" I evaded. Things had been wobbly between us at best, and I was trying my damnedest to keep everything easy and relaxed, which meant not making any future plans.

Eric was giving me a rather scrutinizing look, as if he knew my thoughts and feelings and wanted to poke a stick at them; he said, "Sookie… about that night…"

I knew exactly where this conversation was about to head and nope, not going to happen, not now. "Eric, don't worry about it," I brushed him off.

"I just want you to know that we will talk about it, soon. About everything. I just want you to focus on healing right now, dear heart."

"Eric, really, it's fine. You don't owe me an explanation. You don't owe me a thing." Despite the lightness of my voice, I did my best to avoid eye contact with him. It still hurt (literally and figuratively) that he hadn't come, and I didn't want him to see that.

He gave me a good hard look, but whatever he wanted to say, he let it drop, for now. But I got the feeling it wasn't the last I had heard of this.

"We should get up," I said trying to move along. "We both have work."

"I wish you would take some more time off."

"Stop it," I said with my voice trying to tell him to leave it alone. "You sound like Sam."

"Then, for once, the shifter and I are in agreement."

"Eric, don't start. He's already put me on a restricted schedule and won't let me work anymore than two nights a week until my stitches come out. If I keep being a nuisance to him, and the other waitresses, I won't be surprised if he fires me."

"You don't need to work. You have the money from Rhodes."

I sighed, tired of the same argument we had been having since I went back to work two days ago. "I do need to work. I need a reason to get out of the house, otherwise I'll just lock myself up in here, and I'd never leave."

That seemed to shut him up.

We finally got out of bed, got dressed, and I started making myself presentable for work. When I got out of the bathroom, Eric helped me make the bed.

"I wish you would just let me have Bobby help you with this." Eric was not big on manual labor. He paid people to do that for him.

"No, Bobby hates me, and I don't want to be left alone with him in my house." I felt an odd sense of resignation and protectiveness. Must be through the bond. I think I may have put it in a way that I've won this one. Go me!

My injuries definitely helped break Eric of some of his bad habits. When he realized that he couldn't talk me out of many of the habits my Gran had hammered into me about keeping the house clean, Eric would help me or flat out do it for me (sometimes making it a bigger mess that I would just have to deal with when he died for the day). I think I finally taught him how to make the bed though.

His help and company these last couple of weeks resulted in creating odd domestic moments between us. We got up for the day (or night in this case), got ready for work, grabbed a bite to eat (bagel for me, O positive for him), a kiss goodbye with murmurs of seeing each other later and going off to catch my carpool. I felt like we were living like normal people did.

Night was the only time I felt comfortable being outside the protection of my house, and in a small town like Bon Temps, Merlotte's was one of the few things that was open at night. I was just lucky that my job wasn't a standard nine to five and that my boss was pretty understanding.

Sam had arranged it so Holly and I shared shifts so she could give me rides into work since my hand-me-down Malibu was in the shop. Pam, Eric and my great-grandfather needed to sell the idea that I had been in a car accident and this resulted in the destruction of the best car I had ever own.

Holly preferred parking in the front of the bar since it was better lit, so we walked in through the front door and were greeted by Terry Bellefleur tending.

"Hey, Terry! Where's Sam?"

"In the back, working on the books." That was code for stay the heck away from the office if you could help it.

"Thanks for the warning. How's it been tonight?"

"About average for a Thursday. Sookie, how have you been? Since the…accident?" He hesitated on the last word, like he didn't buy the story I had been telling everyone to explain my bruises, stitches, and limp. I certainly did look like I had been t-boned. I just wished that was what really had happened.

I gave him the crazy grin I get when I'm nervous. "Fine, Terry! Thanks for asking." Terry had been treating me differently since my stint with the fairies. He hadn't been holding me out at arms length like he usually does with everyone. It was like he saw something in me that made him think we were kindred spirits. I was just guessing on most of this and didn't "know" the way I usually "know." I did everything I could to stay out of Terry's head. My own head these days was dark enough.

One thing was for sure, I couldn't stand that I was seeing pity in Terry Bellefleur's eyes.

I walked into the back and put away my cranberry coat and purse, saying 'hi' to Sam. He grumbled his hello with his wild hair even more out of control, like he had been tugging on it. Looking over his shoulders, I saw he was trying to work on tax forms. Peachy. I'd have to make sure to have the CPA's number on hand.

Merlotte's had the usual flow that it would for a Thursday night. Not packed, but a few people starting to gear up for the weekend. It was mostly regulars, but we had two college boys who came in shortly after I had and were in my section. We didn't see to many people pass through during the workweek, so the regulars took notice of them.

I liked Merlotte's like this. It kept me busy enough that I didn't have to think about everything that I didn't want to think about, but not so fast pace that it taxed me too much. It helped me focus on keeping everyone's thoughts out.

I walked over to the two college boys table. They were kind of a lively bunch.

"What can I get you?" I asked.

"You can tell this idiot that he's not going to find any snow in the south," one said. He had a little bit of a beard that should have made him look unkempt and shaggy, but he seemed to make it work. He was wearing a maroon hoodie that said 'Arizona State University.'

His companion was rather baby faced and a very loud broadcaster. My shields had been shot to hell by my recovery, so just being near him was giving me a headache. "Come on, with how far north we are?" He said to his hairy friend, while looking up at me. "Tell him, you guys get snow up here right?" He was pretty eager.

"Sorry. We do once in a while, but nothing you can predict."

Babyface looked pretty disappointed, but then perked up a bit. "But it does happen. You guys do get snow here, right?"

"Sure, every so often."

"See told you, dude."

"Why are you guys hunting for snow in Louisiana?"

Shaggy replied, "We're not. We're on our way to a wedding in Florida for a friend. We stopped in your town to get gas and decided to grab a bite to eat so we didn't have to make a second stop. This kid here has never seen snow fall, so he's been driving me crazy about it, even making us go a few hours out of our way so we can stay as north as we can get."

Babyface's thoughts showed that he was really enjoying this road trip with his friend and was glad they also had the ride back with each other. He really admired Shaggy, and thought of him fondly. He didn't mind that their trip was taking a little longer than planned, even if he was missing classes. The strength of his thoughts made my headache worse.

"Well, we might not get snow, but we do get ice out on the road sometimes, so I would be really careful out there." The warm weather that we had been enjoying earlier this month had been brief. Now we had a nasty cold spell. It felt almost like Mother Nature was punishing us for getting our hopes up for an early spring in January.

The boys ordered, and I looked down to write on my pad.

_You're really pretty and sweet. And that accent is adorable. I wish your t-shirt were a bit more suited to you._

"Well, it's my work uniform, and I don't have a choice as the cut of shirt."

I realized what I had done before I even looked up at their faces. He was just such a loud broadcaster, and the headache was so bad I just wasn't focused like I should be.

I just laughed it off and rushed off to get their drinks. I had intended for the laugh to breeze over my mistake but instead it made me sound like a lunatic. I hadn't been this poorly focused since before Bill came into my life. And Sam and Eric wanted me to take _more_ time off.

I walked backed over with their two Budweisers, and my distress must have been evident on my face. Babyface placed a hand on mine and asked me, "Hey, are you okay?"

I yanked my hand away from his. "Don't touch me."

He recoiled, concern written on his face. "Okay, I'm sorry. You just seemed a bit freaked out and, I don't know…disoriented? I just wanted to make sure you were okay since you have all those bruises. I didn't mean anything by it."

"I'm fine." I walked (or maybe stomped) away. There went my tip, and on my first table for the night too. Oh well. I didn't care. I don't need their money anyway.

I walked over to the bar where Terry Bellefleur was pouring a rum and coke refill for one of Holly's tables. I stood by with my back against the wall. My only real blind spot was the doorway next to me and that was just a simple turn of the head. I had a view of the whole bar.

"You okay, Sookie? Those boys say something to you? Do I need to deal with them?"

For a moment I thought about having Terry throw the boys out on their asses, but then I knew this wasn't my bar and that there was nothing more to back up my bitterness at the boy than my extra sense. Kicking people out with no hard proof as to why would not be good for Sam's business.

"No, Terry," I sighed. "I just have a headache. It's giving me a bit of a short fuse."

"Yeah," he replied. "I get headaches like that too, sometimes."

The night dragged on. My headache went away when the out-of-town boys left. I was surprised to find that they left me a 20% tip. It was actually the best tip I had all night. Shaggy had signed his check with a 'Take care of yourself.' Crap. They were probably a lot nicer than how I treated them.

Even though my headache was now gone, the work was taxing me. My painkillers had worn off, and I didn't want Sam see me go back to grab some from my purse. If he did, I might loose the few hours of work I had won. I did my best to hide my limp from Holly and Terry in case if they went and said something. In addition, my feet, shoulders, and jaw were sore. My stitches in my right thigh were pulling; it would soon be time to change my bandages. I was ready for the night to end.

I grabbed a ketchup bottle that I had walked over to the bar for and turned back around to deal with the few tables I still had.

I knew Eric was coming before I saw him. The contentment of the bond washed over me, and I basked in its relief for a moment.

When I watched Eric as he walked in, he didn't take a seat in my section and wait until I was available to come over. You know: the polite, normal thing to do. Instead, he walked directly up to me and kissed me thoroughly. I just melted into his arms. Before I was completely liquid, Eric broke off the kiss and walked straight to the back to Sam's office.

The kissed all but literally knocked me on my ass. It was the toe curling, desperate kind of kiss that lasted for a little longer than was publicly decent. It was also the most intimacy we had had since the night Bill and Quinn had gotten into the fight on my porch. This was not our quick goodbye kisses in the beginning of the evening. It wasn't even our sweet, almost chaste kisses we shared when we both got off work. This was a frantic "I need you" kiss. In my lustful haze, the last of my mental guard fell.

Everyone's mental voice in Merlotte's that night flooded into me. I had to put down the ketchup bottle I'd been carrying so I could focus on getting the thoughts out. The bar was starting to clear out since we were on the other side of ten on a weeknight, so everyone had a clear view of what had happened.

My friend Tara and her new husband JB were off in the furthest corner of my section. Tara looked…I didn't want to say unhappy or disappointed about the encounter, but she wasn't exactly happy for me. She knew Eric. Though he had helped her in the past, she had a hard time being okay with Eric. She had some bad dealings with vampires in the past, and knew about my problems with Eric better than most, so I didn't really blame her.

Holly, who could appreciate a good looking man, alive or dead, was thinking I was a very lucky woman.

Jane Bodenhouse, our resident alcoholic, was thinking that I was going to burn in hell for trysting (her word) with a vampire. But she also wondered if she could get a vamp as good looking as Eric to come home with her to do…_things to_ _her_. When she started envisioning those _things_ she wanted Eric to do _to_ her, I quickly scrambled to put up my shields and got out of her head. I was thankful that her son was already on his way to pick her up.

Regaining my mental (and physical, since my knees were kind of wobbly) balance, I put back on my "Crazy Sookie" smile. Sam better not have called Eric. I know I still hadn't told Sam about _everything_ that happened in that terrible shack of a house. But, I had told Sam that it was because I didn't want to go over everything that had happened. He didn't have to call in Eric like he needed to know everything about me. It definitely wasn't a social visit, though. Shifters and vamps don't just become bestest buds. So, it was either about business or about me.

What business, I didn't know, but I didn't care either. I shrugged it off. If they wished to tell me, then fine. If not, then I just wasn't going to worry about what the two men were up to. For all I knew, they were discussing what to get me for my birthday-that was in six months.

After the last couple of weeks, I had bigger worries than what Eric and Sam did.

Like how most of my fairy kin had left this world never to be heard from again. All except for my crazy uncle who wanted me to die. Oh yeah, and no one knows where he is.

Like how my brother Jason was drinking himself silly every night since he has lost his unborn child, his wife, and his job, and a good friend was the cause of it all.

Like how I was having nightmares which caused me to wake up screaming. I was so lucky my roommate did have a nine to five job.

Yes, I had bigger things on my plate than Sam and Eric talking.

After a half hour (time spent barely focusing on my tables), Sam and Eric emerged from Sam's office. Eric came over to me. He wrapped one long arm around me and held me to him. He looked down at me with worry written on his usually well-controlled face.

"I need to talk to you. It's important. Have the other waitress cover your tables," Eric told me.

I paused, trying to think of what would have Eric worked up into such a state. While I was thinking of how to responded, Eric grew concerned about my lack of response and followed up with, "Please, lover. It's very important. I've already cleared it with the shifter."

I looked toward Sam who was out and behind the bar for the first time all night. He nodded toward the back door, signaling that it was okay with him if we stepped out. He looked rather serious and almost sad, which made me start to worry.

After I cleared it with Holly, I followed Eric out to the employee entrance.

He just walked out to the middle of the employee lot with only his side facing me. He looked like he was just enjoying the night air. I watched him for a moment, while he looked up at the ancient stars, and he looked just as old.

Eventually, he turned to face me. He breathed in unnecessarily and he was looking down at the ground; not at me. After he called me out here away from work, he wouldn't even give me the courtesy of giving me his full attention. I could feel the rage that I hadn't been able to let out at the college boys build back up and it was aiming for Eric.

When he didn't speak right away, I snapped, "This better be good Eric. I've already have taken too much time off recently and don't want to have to continue to be a burden the other waitresses. Also, I'm freezing my butt off." I had just followed Eric out and hadn't bothered to stop and grab my coat in Sam's office.

Eric was wearing a black leather jacket with his traditional jeans and t-shirt. He slid off the coat and put it on me because it was not like he needed it. When he wrapped it around my shoulders, I flinched. It was because there was a slightly disconcerting moment when I first put it on and it lacked any residual body heat that I was subconsciously expecting. Still, it was better than just my long-sleeved cotton Merlotte's shirt.

"We have to talk. And you just have to accept what I am about to tell you with very little squawking about it." Despite the somberness of his tone, some part of my brain cracked a smile at Eric Northman saying "squawking." It didn't make it to my face though. Very few smiles had lately.

"Okay, I'm listening."

Eric seemed to take a moment to gather his thoughts. "You have to come to Shreveport to stay with me for a while."

I just stared at him thinking he had gone mad. "Excuse me? Have to?"

"Yes, you have to. Felipe de Castro keeps talking about having you brought to Las Vegas. I have refused him and our laws dictate that he listens to me as your bonded. But he's powerful, and ruthless, and young, which has made him very arrogant. I don't think he will take you by force, but I would like to err on the side of caution. I would rather have you by my side angry at me than you abducted to Las Vegas with me none the wiser or even finally dead."

"But I thought that's why we did the whole knife thing, so that no one could do something like this."

"Yes, it was, but de Castro has been ignoring that. He feels that your life has been in too much danger lately and that I have done a poor job in protecting you. Since you are an asset to him, he can just commandeer you, since I am his subject." He said it like it left something distasteful in his mouth.

"But I saved his life! Doesn't he owe me?" I was quickly approaching hysterical. My life has too often been out of my control, and it was happening again.

"And unfortunately, saving him seems to have been the poor choice since it brought you to his attention."

"So, what? Because I saved his life, he's decided that my own life matter, or is too valuable to just let me live it how I see fit!"

"He doesn't have any legal claim here, lover. This has been tried before and it failed. I just want you to be protected until it can be sorted out."

"So now, I just have to uproot my life here and come away with you for a couple of days?"

"A few days is better than the rest of your life. And it could be as long as a few weeks. We have to go soon though. Now would be best if you want a chance to pack. You also need to ask your roommate to vacate your house if you wish for her not to be harmed. Madden had been talking up the wards that the witch put in place. If de Castro comes for you and instead finds a capable witch, it could be… difficult for her. Same should go for your brother. He should move out of your parent's former house. He should not associate himself with the name of Stackhouse for a while, just in case if de Castro wishes to kidnap him and blackmail you."

I just stared at him after this laundry list of demands. "So not only is this crap messing up my own life right now, but those around me too?" Anger tears were starting to spring up into my eyes. I felt guilty for putting innocent bystanders in danger-again. Eric knew that he could get me to comply if I knew others were at risk.

A frightening thought occurred to me. "I don't think Jason is in any condition for him to really follow through if I told him to get out of town." Images of a drunken Jason trying to start a fight with a vampire and losing. A terrible sob broke through my lips but I placed my hand over my mouth to keep any more from escaping.

"Then I'll send someone to protect him."

"Not Bubba." I didn't think it would be a good idea for Jason to see Bubba in the state he has been in the past couple of weeks. Bubba didn't like being reminded of his old life, and if Jason saw him in his inebriated state, I am almost certain that's exactly what Jason would do.

"No, not Bubba." He looked down at me, regret written across his face. "I don't like interrupting your life this much, but you do need protection. After everything that has happened, I'm not taking chances. I don't want you taken from me and I don't want you permanently taken from your life."

The last traces of the rage I had been building up seemed to pop, leaving behind only a dreadful sadness. Tears began to run down my face but I did my best to stop them. I have been through much worse recently. Suck it up, Sookie.

Eric wrapped his himself around me, and I let him.

After a moment of just holding me, Eric began again. "If you wish to have a chance to pack some of your things yourself, we need to leave-now. I'm sure there are things that you would wish to bring, arrangements to make that you would not want me to do for you. Your shifter boss is aware of what is going on and is willing to hold your job for you. In the meantime, if you want to be around people for your telepathy's sake, you can do that at Fangtasia. If you wish, you can work there filling in for the waitress who will be filling in here for you. I know it is not your ideal, but it what I can do with the circumstances."

Eric began tugging me towards his car. I noticed he seemed antsy, which was starting to pour into me, putting me on edge. I didn't seem to be moving fast enough for his liking, and I felt like he was moments away from just picking me up and carrying me to his car.

"Eric, what's the hurry? Why are you rushing me out of here, not even letting me finish my shift? What exactly is going on?"

"Not right now. I'll tell you soon. Later tonight, even."

Eric was tense. I could see his jaw was clenched, and he was constantly looking around. His tone reminded me of the one he used when he was telling me that Breandan's people were on their way. It was enough to get my butt in gear. There was something more going on here.

I gathered my thoughts. "Yes, I want to run home first. But I also want to run in and have the chance tell Sam goodbye and grab my coat."

I definitely wanted a chance to pack. I didn't entirely trust Eric to do it for me. Vamps just forget things that are necessary for human life, and God knows what would be in my bag if he made Pam do it.

I also wanted a chance to see Amelia, if I could catch her at home. This wasn't news you deliver over the phone. Things had not been good between us these days but I wanted a chance to say goodbye in case if this was the last chance I would get to see her. I couldn't imagine her wishing to move back in once she moved out.

"Just be quick."

Eric followed behind me, right on my heels. I swung by Sam's office. Eric helped me slide out of his coat and helped me pull on my own. He lightly stroked my check after he helped fix my collar. I pulled my purse out of Sam's drawer and I walked back to the front of the bar.

"Sam, I am so sorry I have to run out on you like this. This isn't fair to you, my life affecting you like this constantly." He was standing where I had been talking to Terry earlier, only his back was away from the rest of the bar.

"Hey, none of that," Sam admonished me. He turned and faced me, then tried to pull me into a hug. I put a hand up to stop him. Hugs hurt these days. "You took care of things here, when my personal stuff got in the way. You just take care of yourself right now. And you'll have a place here when things calm down. Use this time to heal like I wanted you to." Sam looked over my shoulders, and he glared at Eric. "You better make sure no harm comes to her, or I will stake you myself."

I look at Eric who seemed quite unruffled at the threat. "You have my word that I will do everything with in my power to make sure that she is safe."

"Thank you for being so understanding. You are the best boss anyone could ever want." Sam didn't say anything in reply, and I could tell he was getting embarrassed under the praise by the flush that started to spread on his face. "Can you look after Jason for me? We're going to try and arrange something for him but he's been in bad shape ever since Mel and Crystal. Keep him from getting truly stupid, okay?"

"I'll do that, cher."

"And can you explain things to Tara, and tell her I'll call her." Tara was glaring daggers at Eric.

"I can do that too."

"And take care of yourself as well." I kissed him on his cheek and said goodbye. I was surprised to find Eric's face completely neutral, but I felt suddenly very jealous of Sam. I need to figure this bond out.

"Ready to go?"

I nodded and Eric pulled me out front.

"Nice parking job," I told him.

Eric had parked just out side the door. Not in a parking space-exactly outside the door. If someone wanted to leave or come in, they were going to have to walk around (or over) his car. I got into the Corvette and as soon as my seatbelt was on Eric was tearing out of the Merlotte's parking lot like a bat out of hell.

When we pulled off of Hummingbird Road and into my driveway, Eric got out of the car quickly, and pulled one of his vampire moves, opening my door before I had had the chance to grab my purse. I let out a little yelp of surprise. I thought I had gotten used to vampires and their speed.

The living room light was on, so either my roommate was home, or Amelia forgot about turning off the light. I figured it was the first option. Amelia hadn't really left the house except to work.

I rushed up to the farmhouse that had been in my family for generations. I felt Eric at my back, and I felt comforted knowing he was there. The walk from the car to the house usually made my heart pound. I didn't know what would have happened if Bill hadn't been there when I got taken…

I had wanted to ask Amelia if it she could extend the wards around the house so that I could park in them, but I hadn't been sure how to bring it up.

"Amelia?" I called out.

I heard her shuffle around a bit upstairs. Eventually, she shambled down stairs. Amelia had been looking like a mess lately, and tonight was no exception. She developed a routine where she changed into her pajamas once she got home from work, and she often looked like a zombie. It broke my heart. But at least she was going to work and getting out of the house. She didn't have to work if she didn't want to, so I saw it as a good thing…even though she was probably doing it to get be away from me. Amelia knew she was a loud broadcaster, and I just knew she had to be blaming me for Tray's death.

Eric just walked past me as Amelia was walking down the stairs and went into my bedroom. I could hear him dig around in my drawers, so I assumed that he was starting to get my things gathered.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Oh, I hate having to do this to you?" I started to cry. "I'm going to have to ask you to move out."

"Why? I mean, I know you have been avoiding me, but I don't blame you for Tray, I promise. I blame the ones who did that to you." She pointed at my healing arm that still was covered in a bandage. "It's not your fault Sookie."

"No, no, no…It's not that." Though it was a relief to hear her say it. "Something is going on with the vamps and I'm leaving to stay with Eric. I'm not going to be too proud or stubborn to not get help early on this time and do my best to spare those uninvolved. I'm going to close up the house while I'm gone and I want to make sure that you won't get caught up in the middle of this whole mess."

"Oh my god, Sookie!" Amelia's brain was kicking into high gear. _I can't lose you too. Ican'tloseyoutoo Can'tloseyou_. She rushed down the stairs at that point. She moved to hug me but I just knew that would put me even deeper into her head, which I didn't need at this point right now. My headache was coming back. "Are you going to be alright?"

I made myself focus on what Amelia was actually saying. "I don't know, but I want to make sure that you will be."

She gave me such a look of frustrated sadness. _I wish she would just talk to me like she used to,_ she thought. Instead, she said, "When are you leaving?"

"Now. I assume that Eric is packing up my clothes as we speak."

"When do I need to leave?"

"The sooner the better, but since I know your wards will hold, I'd recommend waiting till daybreak," Eric called back from the bedroom.

"Okay, I'll start packing tonight. Is there anything you need me to do? Get your mail? Water your plants?"

"I don't know. I don't know how long this will take and I don't want you to be doing that indefinitely."

"Okay, I'll do my best to clean some tonight and put a stasis spell on the house when I leave." Amelia was getting geared up for a cleaning frenzy. I was surprised that she hadn't one yet, but I could see from her head she had been trying to give me space since she thought I had been avoid her. Now that I wasn't going to be around, she was glad to have something else to focus on.

"Please don't work yourself to death over a house that won't be used for a while."

"I just want to do what I can. I'll be sure to be out of here before sundown."

"What are you going to do?"

Amelia thought about it for a second, indecision playing heavily across her face. "Back to New Orleans, I guess. See how long you're gone in case I have to find somewhere else more long term. That is…if you don't mind me moving back in, once you're back."

"No, I don't mind at all." I gave her a real smile.

"I think getting out of Bon Temps might be good for me for a while. It will give me a chance to get my head straight. And you call me regularly. I want to know that you're doing okay, and I'll need someone to talk to since I'll be dealing with my dad."

Eric came out of my bedroom then. "I have some of the things you'll need packed, but you'll want to do a once over to make sure."

I peaked into the bag he packed. It was just an old backpack that I had lying around. All of my good luggage had been destroyed in the Rhodes bombing, and I hadn't gone anywhere to prompt me to replace it. It had the basics: shirts, jeans, hairbrush, toothbrush, some make up in the front pocket. I also noticed that it had a few of my heavier sweaters, the kind I only pulled out on really cold nights.

"You didn't have anything bigger to pack in so I fit in what I could. We can get you more in Shreveport. I'm sure Pam would love to take you shopping." This was the first untroubled thing he said all night and there was even a hint of a smirk on his face. I had the feeling that shopping with Pam would be an experience I would be happy to miss out on if I could.

"It looks good but I'm going to grab a few things."

I grabbed the old quilt Gran had made, and one of the few pictures I had where Gran, my parents, Jason and I were all in it. I had been very young and I don't remember what the occasion was, but it was my favorite picture. I wanted to make sure if something happened to the house while I was gone, I would still have these things. I also grabbed the few True Bloods I had in my fridge. I didn't want them to go to waste and I knew someone who wouldn't let them spoil.

When I was ready, I gave Amelia a quick hug.

"I'm really sorry about this Amelia."

"Don't be. I'm going to try and put a few more protection spells on the house that can't be used if someone is living here. So you'll be sure to have a home to come back to. And I mean it. Call me as often as you can. Keep me up to date."

Eric was all but taping his foot behind me. It was time to go. I took one last look around my home and let him pull me out into the night.

…_**To be continued**_

_My first adventure into the SVN universe._

_So much thanks to s. meadows for helping me clean up this beast, pforte for cheering me up by letting me know when I'm right (and for not hesitating to tell me when I'm wrong), losille2000 for being with me through this whole mess and my dear mate Courtney for playing fanfic charades with me. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Season of Mists**

**Chapter Two**

We had been driving for a while now. I wasn't sure how long but we had just passed out of Ruston on I-20. The drive had been entirely silent.

"Sookie?" Eric asked. I jumped. I guess I'd been caught up in my own thoughts. I looked over and only saw his profile in the dim lights from the dashboard. "You've been very unusually quiet."

"Yeah, I was just…" I trailed off. He raised his hand and made a 'go on' gesture. "Just saying goodbye."

"I will make sure you make it back home. I promise you." The fervor in his voice made me want to believe him, even if I didn't _actually_ believe him.

Instead, I put my hand up to his cheek, and stroked it. He brought my hand to his lips and kissed placed a kiss on my knuckles. Then, he let our joined hands fall to the armrest between us. We drove like that for the rest of the trip to Shreveport.

I had expected to be heading to Fangtasia, but once we were in the city, we had kept on I-49 South and it looked like we were now heading out of the city.

"Where are we going?"

"My house," Eric simply stated. I felt nervous, but Eric's voice gave nothing away so it must be my own emotion. See what a nuisance this bond was? It had me second-guessing everything I felt.

"Where do you live, out in the boonies?"

He chucked. "I enjoy my solitude." That boded well for me living with him for however long.

Boy, did Eric enjoy his solitude…I wasn't even sure if we were still in Caddo Parish when we pulled off of the freeway. Trees had been coming more and more frequent but I could safely call this a forest. There were still houses and streetlights but far more occasionally. The street-lamps looked like old fancy gas-lamps.

There was the occasional glimpse of a house if it had on all of it lights. These were far more modern houses than what you saw in Bon Temps, and they were extravagant. Personally, I had trouble seeing why a modern family (2.5 kids, white picket fence, maybe a dog) would need so much space. My house still felt big when I had two adult roommates.

We turned onto a street that had a gate in front of it and a guardhouse. Eric slowed and rolled down his window.

"Good evening, Mr. Northman," a middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair said, leaning out from his white box.

"Good evening, George. This is Miss Stackhouse. She will be staying with me for a few weeks. Allow her to come and go as she pleases. Don't mention her to anyone."

George's voice took on a dreamy quality when he replied. "Yes, Mr. Northman." Though I couldn't see Eric's face, I knew he was glamouring the guard.

We pulled into the neighborhood after George had opened the gate. "How often do you do that to him?" My voice was sour.

"Not as often as you would think. I just don't want him to talk needlessly about the vampire in the neighborhood." Vampires love their privacy, and Eric was no different. I know I should've cared more, but it was hard to get really defensive for George when Eric was doing it to protect me.

I looked at the neighborhood. It was somewhat spread out between houses. Eric had neighbors, sure, but he wouldn't have any nosey old biddy peering over the fence.

"While you're here, I want you to read him…if you don't mind," he amended when I began to scowl. "You can never be too safe."

He made that point abundantly clear when we pulled up to another metal gate with a fence that went all around the property. Eric leaned out the car to punch in a code.

"Two gates?" My tone said that it was a bit overkill.

"These gates are made of iron. There is also a security system on the house itself and other security measures that you can't see."

"That's what they said in Rhodes."

"I rest my case. You can never be too safe."

That philosophy had kept him alive for a millennium, and it was a good piece of advice. One that I had learned the hard way.

We pulled into a paved driveway. The paving stones matched the stone front of the dark house. The house was not what I had been expecting at all. Instead of the opulent mansions I had seen driving up, it was a modest ranch style single story house.

We entered the house through a door in the garage and stepped into a kitchen with a small dinette. The first thing I noticed was that it cold. It was the middle of winter, and the heater wasn't on.

I wandered around the house, and Eric didn't stop me. The house was just a long rectangle that ran perpendicular to the street. It was divided up in to four parts by two ways. The living areas all flowed together, while a hall connected all of the bedrooms. There was also the front of the house (living room and two bedrooms) which faced the street and the back of the house (the family room, kitchen, dinette, a guest bathroom and one bedroom) that faced into the dark backyard. The house seemed bigger once inside than at first guess, probably because it was surrounded by the imposing neighbors.

I lined up the house with my idea of Eric. It was very unlike what I thought of Eric's style, yet it didn't seem unlike him. All of the décor was dark, but unlike the black, grey, and red of Fangtasia, the furniture and paint were all earth tones. Where at Fangtasia it was squeaky leather, here it was soft suede. At Fangtasia there was concrete floors and walls, here it was hardwood floor and ceramic tile and unrefined stone fireplaces. The two styles were very different yet both seemed to be Eric. The bar was 'Eric the vampire and businessman' and this was just everything else about him. On all the walls, it looked like a war museum with swords of all sort hanging in glass cases (versus the 'no biting' signs of Fangtasia but I didn't expect Eric to have those hanging here).

I couldn't tell if this had always been a vampire house or not, but my guess was 'not'. There were tons of windows and fireplaces, two things vampires weren't terribly fond of. The bedrooms were another story. There were three rooms and not one of them had any windows, not even boarded up ones. They had thick doors that locked from the inside and looked like they were made of wood, but were way too heavy.

The two bedrooms that faced out on to the street were obviously guest bedrooms. After peaking into those, I walked into the bedroom that was at the furthest back end of the hall.

While it had one of the thick wood-like doors, I walked almost smack into another door. This one belonged to the closet and I thought it was really awkwardly placed until I noticed that it was double hinged and could swing both ways. It had a handle and a locking mechanism though nothing for it to latch into on the closet. After closer inspection though, I noticed a second door jam in the opening that lead into the bedroom. The door jam had no door to go with it until the closet door was closed. I pushed the door back into the closet to get it out of my way.

"I added it a couple of weeks ago, after we formally bonded." Eric had snuck up behind me.

I jumped. To hide my yelp, I added brusquely, "You mean after you tricked me into marrying you."

Ignoring me (or at least not looking a bit remorseful) Eric continued. "Light shouldn't get into this part of the house, but if you stay with me during the day, I ask that you close one door before opening the other."

"So it's like an airlock for light?"

"Exactly." His blue eyes showed pride—either at his idea or by my figuring it out, I couldn't tell.

Eric flipped on a light. It was a large room—at least larger than my own bedroom—but it wasn't excessively large like how I'd imagined the nearby houses to be. It had a large wood dresser with a mirror above it on one wall and next to it there was Eric's very large bed that had tons of fluffy blankets thrown on it.

I walked in to explore while Eric stayed in the doorway. Unlike the rest of the house that had a gleaming hardwood floor, Eric's bedroom had thick plush carpet that I could feel squish under my feet. The bed was made, and I realized that the house was spotless overall. I assumed it was Pam's doing. I knew she cleaned house for him and God knows getting Eric to make a bed was like pulling teeth.

Eric's phone beeped while I looked around. He opened it and it must have been a text message because he closed it right after.

"Pam bought you some food. You should eat so you can take your pain medicine."

Eric headed back into the kitchen, and I turned off the bedroom light behind us to follow him.

Eric's kitchen and the attached dinette looked as if they were an after thought. They were way too small for a house this size. The small dark wooden table Eric had squeezed into the dinette barely had enough room to pull out the chairs. If Eric bought this house, the real estate agent had been in hog heaven.

"You'll have to find something for yourself. I have no idea what she bought," Eric said dismissively.

"Would you grab my bag while I'm thinking about it? I grabbed a couple of True Bloods from my fridge for you." It didn't occur to me until Eric had already had gone to his car, how rude it was of me to give Eric an order in his own house.

While Eric went outside, I looked around the in fridge. Once, I was shocked when I had opened my cousin Hadley's refrigerator, and had found nothing but True Blood in there when I had been thinking of her as human. If Eric hadn't warned me that Pam had gone shopping, all of the food that was in the vampire's fridge sure would have shocked me.

I wasn't sure what Pam used to judge what to buy, but the food was certainly varied. Mixed in with things like milk, bread, and Eric's own True Blood were things like Clamato and cheep wine. There was even some Top Raman in the fridge. I pulled that out to put in the pantry. Some of the stuff I wasn't sure what exactly it was. One thing was rather exotic looking with red with green leaves pointing out of it. Maybe it was some kind of fruit? After a lot of digging, I found the makings for a turkey sandwich. That would work.

I dug around in the drawers for a butter knife to spread on the mustard (yet I noticed that there wasn't any ketchup). I found a drawer with two boxes of plastic utensils. One box was full of spoons and the other knives. That would work since I was making a sandwich, but if I wanted something that needed a fork, I was out of luck.

Eric came back in and set down my old backpack on the table. After setting aside the True Blood, he began to pull things out of my backpack and scattering them willy-nilly.

"Looking for something?" I asked. It was too late to stop him from making a mess, but maybe I could minimize the damage.

I watched him through the opening created by a breakfast bar that separated the dinette and kitchen. He didn't reply. After digging through my bag for a bit, I watched in horror as he unceremoniously dumped the rest of my stuff on to the table.

"What are you doing?" If I sounded upset, it was because I was. My things were scattered all over the table now.

"You need your bandages changed and your stitches cleaned." He found the antibiotic cream and bandages at the bottom of my bag. They must have been one of the first things he packed.

I finished making my sandwich and looked around in the cabinets for a plate with no luck. I found glasses and bowls but no plates. Of course. Why would a vampire need a plate when he traditionally drank his meal? I grabbed a paper towel after I'd opened the new roll left on the counter. It would have to make do.

"Take off you pants," Eric told me bluntly, once I had sat down.

"Excuse me?"

"Take off your pants." He said each word deliberately and impersonally.

"I'm not going to sit naked at your kitchen table while I eat."

"You won't be naked…unless you want to be." His mouth shifted into his trademarked suggestive leer. Ever the opportunist.

"Eric…"

His mouth lost the leer like he had just put it on for my sake and his face went back to neutral. "I'm cleaning your wounds. It hasn't been done since before I woke you up and it's time again." Despite the aloofness of his words and face, I felt a strong wave of calm through the bond. This time, I was sure the emotions were from him.

"I hate doing this."

"I know." Another wave of calm.

"I can do this myself."

"You do as much as you can, but I know you ignore some."

"I don't like you looking at what a mess I am."

"I've seen it all already. We do this every time I clean your stitches. Now, take off your pants."

Eric was perfectly motionless in the way only a vampire can be. Nothing else can create a better image of a lost cause than when you're fighting with a vamp and he stops moving. He just loomed, looking down at me. With a frustrated sigh, I put down my sandwich. I unbuttoned my work pants that I hadn't had the chance to change out of and shimmied out of them. When they were off, I sat down again into one of Eric's wooden chairs. Boy, was I cold now.

"It's been long enough, and you have processed enough of my blood that you should take some more of it tonight."

"I don't like taking vamp blood on a regular basis."

"I don't think taking some twice when you're injured classifies you as a bloodhead," Eric said dryly.

"Your blood seems to be able to fix everything—but it didn't work last time." I almost said 'but me', but decided that sounded too pitiful. "What if it doesn't take care of everything yet again?"

"Then you will at least feel a little bit better and your recovery will be a little shorter."

I stopped arguing. Whatever healing power that was in my great-grandfather's kiss, it had faded just after Tray's funeral. Now I was just a broken human who had to recover the slow way. It would be nice to feel a little better, and maybe I'd able to stop taking the painkillers that made my head fuzzy and my skin itch.

Eric started the same way he did every time he cleaned my stitches. He checked all of the wounds that had been superficial and were now scabs to make sure they were still healing right. These hurt the least. In some cases, if you didn't know where to look, you wouldn't have known that I'd been hurt at all. Eric knew. They were all along my face and arms. He gently rolled up my sleeves and looked. Tonight, he kissed each spot where there had been so much as a scratch. This was a new addition to the routine.

Next, he checked on all of my stitches. Most of these were from when Thing One and Thing Two had taken the knife to cut me rather then stabbed me. These were still very tender. I focused on Eric's eyes and the way one strand of his blond hair fell in front of his face. I pushed it back for him, behind his ear.

Instead of using the antibiotic cream as usual, I watched as Eric bit his finger and dabbed at the sutures. Nothing was going to infect them now and maybe I could skip this process for a bit. He started with the stitches right by my eye. I got smacked there so much that even after Eric gave me his blood, I was still bruised and puffy. The bruises were now gone but one of the cuts had been deep.

Eric was on his knees in front of me, but I still had to look up at him. I watched his mouth set in a thin, determined line. The first time he did this for me, there was a low growl coming from him the whole time, but ever since then, he did this very clinically and detached. His face wasn't screwed up with rage, and he never made any comment. It helped me get through this whole thing. We both needed to distance ourselves from the process.

He moved on to the stitches in my legs, re-biting his finger every so often when it had healed. He ran his fingers up the side of my hips, applying blood to the sutures there. His other hand was on my knee, rubbing soft soothing circles, trying to calm me—focus me elsewhere.

It was terrible from this point on. Gently, he lifted up my shirt and I raised my arms to help him. After that, my eyes were firmly planted on the ceiling. I didn't like looking. Some nights, Eric would do this for me or I would just not do it at all.

Carefully, he applied his blood to the deep slashes on my middle. These were in various states of healing and some still looked ghastly. I could feel his big hand reach around and undo my bra to have better access to the cuts. Once it was unfastened, Eric didn't let his fingers wander, behaving as a perfect gentleman, he just covered the gashes with his blood.

My eyes became watery with unshed tears, and I was shaking slightly. No amount of Eric's blood would prevent these from scarring. I would have to look at these for the rest of my life. He lowered my shirt once he was done. The ceiling wasn't cutting it. It hurt my neck, which just made me focus more on Eric's actions. Back to looking at Eric. He was always a good distraction.

I looked at him removing the gauze from my upper thigh without really thinking what he was doing. I kept my eyes planted on his ocean blue eyes, and attempted to drown in them. This was the worst of it and I needed to focus elsewhere, so I didn't have a complete breakdown. I kept it bandaged so I didn't have to look at it at all. This was where Thing One and Thing Two had ripped big chunks out of my leg. Dr. Ludwig had told me to remove the bandage 2 days later but here I was, 12 days later, still wearing the gauze. Eric never pressed the issue.

Eric's hair was falling over his shoulders while his head was down concentrating on his task. I watched while the muscles in his shoulders relaxed and tighten while he gently moved my thigh around to gain access to everywhere I was hurt. He was the most careful here. Once his blood touched the wounds though, a lot of the pain was gone, replaced by the familiar healing itch. Eric tenderly wrapped fresh gauze back around my leg.

He finally looked up and wiped away the few tears that had escaped. He softly caressed my face. "It's done, lover." Eric's voice was soft and when I met his eyes, they were fathomless. I was very thankful then that I couldn't read vampires because I didn't want to know what he saw when I broke like this. I was just content with never seeing pity in those eyes. Eric brushed back my hair until I stopped shaking, and I angrily wiped away the rest of my tears. I was better than this. I could get passed this. Thing One and Thing Two were dead now and I just had to move on.

When I had calmed, he sat down across from me while I picked at my sandwich.

"Not hungry?" he asked after I had pushed my meal away after only a few bites.

"Yeah. Hard to really get an appetite going after all of that."

He slid his chair closer to me and took off his jacket. He lightly bit into his wrist to create a smaller than usual wound. He held it out for me.

I leaned over his wrist, turning it to prevent his blood from dripping onto the floor. "Are you sure it's safe?" I might trust him enough to take his blood, but not without questioning it first.

"I'm sure. I promised I wouldn't turn you." His voice was sincere, so I placed my mouth on the wound and began to suck. I could see him clench his other hand on his thigh and tighten his jaw, but there was no other indication that this being a big turn on for him…other than the big wave of lust that ran through me, that is. The blood bond at work again.

For me, though, it made me feel instantly better—wonderfully better. It reminded me of the first time I took Eric's blood and I felt like I could climb the wall. I sighed with relief. My lesser injuries felt almost non-existent. My headache was gone, as were most of my other aches and pains.

"That's enough, lover." Eric pulled his wrist away and I watched as it healed itself.

I sat there, only in my work shirt and my underwear and I stretched out my arms. My stitches still pulled, but they probably always would until they came out. I tingled all over. Physically, it was the best I had felt since my round of 'gourmet sex'.

Some combination of thinking of the gourmet sex, all of the vampire blood, the controlled desire I'd seen and felt, and the powerful kiss Eric and I shared earlier, really got my engines revved. Or, maybe it was none of that. Maybe my body was tired of feeling like crap and knew the best way to feel good. Normally, this was the worst part of my day, but Eric's blood seemed to wipe away all of that negativity and all I knew was _want_.

I leaned forward and roughly pulled Eric's lips to mine. Eric didn't hesitate in his response.

This was the first time I ever really initiated intimacy with a man before, at least when I wasn't 100% certain of how it would be received. Not that I had ever known Eric to turn down an opportunity, but with how careful he'd been with me, it gave me a deep thrill when he began to kiss me back.

And man oh man did he kiss back. These were big, lustful, open mouth kisses. His tongue was either brushing against mine, or his lips were running along my jaw. His fingers were in my hair, clutching at me with a light grip to hold me closer. My lust fired up big time.

I pushed Eric back and he let me (or it was the latest infusion of his blood). He landed with his perfect rear on the floor. Had he been human, I might have been concerned that I had hurt him, but all thoughts stopped when he pulled me down on top of him.

I could feel how much Eric was enjoying this. After all, it was just his jeans and my panties separating us. How had I kept my hands off of him these last two weeks? I decided to wonder about that later. I had other things to wonder about now, like remembering what Eric's skin tasted like.

I ran my hands up his shirt, dragging my nails across his chest. Eric let out a moan and he arched his neck back, caught up in the moment. I looked at the delicious span of neck that was now exposed, leaned over him and dragged my tongue across. I followed my tongue with my teeth, lightly scrapping at his skin.

He leaned his head forward and captured my lips with his. One of his big hands wrapped around the back of my head, while his other hand was softly brushing up and down my neck, sending delicious shivers through me. His fangs had never retracted after he had bitten his finger and I ran my tongue along the back of them down to their point, and then nipped at his lip. Eric moaned and rubbed himself against me, which cause a moan of my own. I rubbed back, pressing my breasts against his chest.

That was a mistake. I hissed with the pain. If Eric hadn't just rubbed his blood all over me, I would have just popped several stitches.

Eric smiled wryly from under me. "It's just as well. We still need to talk."

He placed his hands back on my hips but this time to lift me up off of him.

He sat back down in his chair and I took back the chair I had been in earlier. I was trying to steady my breath and heartbeat. Where the hell had that come from? I could feel the heat in my cheeks, no longer from arousal (or at least not completely).

Eric looked at me completely serious. You couldn't tell by looking at him that we had just made out on his kitchen floor and the last bits of my desire left when I looked at his face. "Sookie, the night you were taken…" he began, but I realized that I just didn't want to have this conversation right then. Not after the last couple of minutes, let alone the whole day. I held up a hand to cut him off.

"Can we do this another time?" Eric's blond brows rose up in surprise and then scrunched up in confusion, two expressions that looked inappropriate on the normally self-assured vampire. With his fangs still out it was almost darkly comical. "I'm tired. This has been a long day, and I'm not sure I could focus on this conversation."

"Are you sure?" He reminded me of Regis Philbin on 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' Was that my final answer…?

"Will my knowing let me go home?"

A flash of regret passed over his face. "No."

"Then I'm sure."

"This seems unlike you. You usually want to know everything."

I replied, "I do want to know everything. I'm just so emotionally drained right now, that I wouldn't be able to really take it all in. So I would rather wait until I can really get it."

He stood up, but then stooped to kiss the top of my head. "I'll be ready to explain when you're ready to listen."

Instead of putting back on my black work pants, I grabbed a pair of sleep pants from the table where Eric had thrown them. I pulled my bra the rest of the way off under my shirt. I looked around for a t-shirt to change into, but Eric had only grabbed normal day shirts. Crap. I didn't want to have to do laundry everyday, so I just stayed in my Merlotte's shirt even though it smelt like beer and fries. Gross. I would have to ask Eric about washing it, but the long sleeves would due as a sleep shirt in the cold house. I should have looked closer at what Eric had packed me.

"I'll be working on some business for the night. Feel free to make yourself at home either in my room or if you wish, one of the guest rooms."

While Eric had kept his face neural when he said that, he couldn't hide his happiness when I asked if I could use one of the drawers in his dresser.

He showed me a couple of drawers that had already been emptied for me. It took a couple of trips from the kitchen gathering my things to settling into Eric's room. It would have been much easier to do if it had been still packed away in my bag. I glared at Eric who was in his living room on the phone and took no notice of my stare.

When I sat back down on his brown suede couch in his family room, I heard Eric snap his phone shut.

"Do you want me to show you how to work the TV?" he asked.

If I was going have a lot of time to kill during the day that would be a must. I had passed by Eric's TV when I'd looked around. I wouldn't be able to tell you if it was top of the line but I could say that it was far more complex (and expensive) then my old set. Gran and I only had cable put on ours after I started working at Merlotte's five years ago.

He showed me which remotes did what. There were three of them just to make the darn thing work. I turned on the TV to find a rerun of Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. Eric flashed me a fangy smile, then walked away, already pulling out his phone again.

He stopped before he had completely left the room and turned to face me as if something had just occurred to him. "Is there anything else I can get you?" He was trying to be a good host, but was obviously unused to having to do so. He normally had minions to take care of guests at Fangtasia.

"Maybe my blanket or the heater turned up? It's kind of cold in here."

He turned down the hall that led to the bedrooms and I could hear his feet shuffle on the floor near the doorway. He then walked back across the living room. I could hear the kitchen door open and him unlock his trunk. Either the acoustics of Eric's house were odd or my hearing had definitely improved when I took his blood.

He came back with Gran's quilt in his arms, and hit a switch next the large fireplace that was by the couch. The fireplace roared to life.

"The heater is now on, but it hasn't been turned on in a long time so it may take awhile. This will have to do for now."

Once I was tucked in under the quilt, he was off in the other room on the phone. I snuggled into the comfortable brown couch and I channel surfed for a while, not really focused on one thing or another.

I could hear Eric talking in the other room. He didn't bother trying to keep his voice down. I turned the volume up just a bit more. I didn't want to hear any vamp business, and I knew the TV wouldn't be a distraction for him.

I laid there on the couch, not really watching anything. I thought back to when Eric offered me exactly this kind of life, all I needed was the candy. While I was enjoying my chance to relax and the chance to let down my mental guard, I knew I could never live this life. I would get very bored, very fast. Maybe I would take Eric up on his offer to work at Fangtasia. It would be something to do.

There wasn't much on at 3 am on a Thursday (or would it now be Friday?) night, even when you get 700+ channels. After a whole bunch of nothing, I found an old Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon movie to watch. Half way through, Eric came in, finally off his phone and sat down on the couch with me. I shifted to relax against his chest and he put his arm around me and the blanket around him. Contentment hummed through the bond between us.

When the movie ended around five, I found something else to watch but around six, I could tell Eric was starting to get sluggish.

I'd never been around a vampire right before they went into their daytime rest—at least not when I wasn't terrified for my life. It wasn't the instantaneous 'asleep' that I always thought it was, but it wasn't a gradual drowsy like humans. Eric was awake, talking to me like normal. There was no yawning or any other more obvious signs of fatigue, but Eric's eyes were less focus and he was blinking more. I felt dragged under by exhaustion through the bond. It was like my entire body was wrapped up in cotton. I usually had taken a nap by this point in the night and I never had been fully awake before when Eric was ready for sleep.

At the end of whatever it was we were watching, I turned off the TV and started to head to Eric bedroom.

I took Eric by his hand and he let me pull him to his room. Once he had shut the door, he placed both of his hands around my head and brought it up for a kiss. It wasn't like the kiss in Merlotte's or on Eric's floor, but it had a lot more passion to it than what our kisses had been. I think he may have figured out that I wasn't going to break.

The kiss went on a long moment. Eric was sweeping his tongue lightly across my lips and I was gripping his shirt. Eventually though, Eric pulled away.

"That shirt you are wearing smells of beer and food and shifter," he said.

"You didn't pack me anything else to wear at night."

"You could wear on of my shirts," he offered.

When I nodded, he went to the big wooden dresser and pulled out one of his t-shirts and handed it to me.

"Did you not pack any of my sleep shirts just so you could get me into one of yours?" I asked him, without a hint of accusation. It honestly didn't surprise me that he would do something like that.

"Perhaps," Mr. High-handed said with an enigmatic grin. For once, it wasn't difficult to sort out Eric's plotting.

I grabbed my toothbrush that I had just set on the dresser and went into the bathroom with his shirt to change and get ready for bed. It was my first good look at it and it was big. The counter top was functional and there was a toilet (which wasn't a common feature in a vampire house), but the main focus was the large built-in sunken bathtub/shower combo. If Eric ever sold, this bathroom could make up for the small kitchen.

By the time I had got out, Eric had changed into some black silk sleep pants and climbed into his large wooden sleigh bed.

A thought occurred to me. "You didn't arrange for all of this just so you could get me to your house did you?" This time, the accusation in my voice was very clear.

"No," his tone was gentle. He didn't take offence. "I admit I wanted to get you here, but because you wanted to be here. I wish this was under better circumstances." He pulled back his thick blankets and white sheets to help me get in.

After I had settled into bed, I finally gave into my curiosity. "So what's the deal with this house?" I still hadn't figured out if this odd house was constructed with a vampire in mind or Eric just got lucky.

"I had it built a while back."

"And you thought to put in a kitchen?"

"I made sure it could be sold to humans well enough. Windows are not difficult to install but a kitchen would be."

"How long have you had it?" This house looked lived in. It wasn't something he had acquired after the Revelation.

"Since the Sixties. I have a few others places where I can take guests but this is my home."

"Why didn't you take me to one of them?" A vampire sharing his resting place was a big deal but it seemed all the more important when he said 'home'.

"This one is the most secure…despite the neighborhood springing up around me," he said with great annoyance. He wasn't thrilled he had to share his space. "Fortunately, I'm grandfathered in so I don't have to deal with the Homeowners Association."

I imagine Eric trying to mingle with interfering housewives. They wouldn't know if they should throw themselves at him or run in terror.

"So why is this one the most secure?" I asked to have something fill in the quiet. I knew I was asking a lot of questions, and it was rude, but I wasn't quite ready for sleep yet and Eric would sleep when he was ready no matter what.

"There's all the security you've already noticed to deter curious humans. But there is also iron in the frame of the house, all of the bedrooms are fire resistant, and the witches who placed some wards around it are no longer around to tell anyone about them." I didn't think he meant that those witches had gone on an extended vacation. Reading the disapproval on my face (though maybe in the absolute darkness it was from my actual emotions) he said, "It was long ago, lover. They were old and they would be dead now anyway. There wasn't other ways of handling things then." I don't know what it says about me that it actually did help when he said that. I'm definitely not a very good Christian.

I curled up into his arms. Eric was quickly fading, and I wasn't fairing much better. I settled into the soft bed and we were both out cold in a matter of minutes.

**...To be continued**

_I know this chapter is slower than the first one. I had intended for it to be very different but the pacing through out didn't seem right. As a result though, I already have 13 pages of chapter 3 written so there should be less of a wait._

_By the way, check out my profile for odd little facts about my story. Side bits about the plot that don't really fit or where I get my inspiration from. If I get asked a question a lot, I'll probably answer it there._

_Thanks as always to the amazing s. meadows for putting up with my neurotic freak out and to my amazing mate Courtney for putting up with my inane ramblings._


	3. Chapter 3

**Season of Mists**

**Chapter Three**

I woke up in complete darkness, which didn't help me calm down from my terrifying nightmare. I could hear my blood pumping in my ears. My breath was ragged, and my whole body wouldn't stop shaking. My eyes just seemed to refuse to get adjusted to the dark. I had no idea where I was, and I felt like I was being pinned down by an arm. My stomach was so tied up in knots I was pretty sure I was going to be sick. I fought back the tears that were already starting to prick my eyes with all that I had. The hold on me became tighter, which was causing me to panic more.

_It was just a nightmare, Sookie. You need to calm down, _I told myself. I kept repeating it until the _thump-thump _of my heart was no longer banging away. My lungs seem to be getting enough air, and when rational thought took over and I realized that I was in Eric's room, in Eric's arms, and I was safe.

These nightmares were getting out of control. I hadn't had a single, undisturbed night's rest since I got home from the hospital. It didn't matter what I did. If I stayed up until I was so exhausted, I couldn't think. If I took a painkiller right before bed, which made me so drowsy I could barely function and all but passed out, it didn't help. Apparently if I had Eric wrapped around me, even the calm of the bond couldn't stop the nightmares from coming.

It was ridiculous. I really couldn't even remember the dreams, let alone tell you what made me so terrified of them. I could only clearly recall complete darkness with bright flashes of white that faded away back into the darkness until the next flash. It was almost like lightning but the flashes were sharp lines. Why the heck was that so scary? At least I didn't vomit this time.

At least I could explain why I was so freaked waking up. I couldn't see a damn thing. I tried to get up but Eric just wrapped his arms around me tighter. It wasn't painful, but I certainly wasn't going to be going anywhere from this position.

I rolled over, and at first, I thought that maybe my eyes had adjusted to the darkness. Eric was clearer than anything else but then it clicked that it was just his normal soft glow that all vampires had. The painkillers I was on made my head all sorts of fuzzy when I first woke up, andI was having difficulty getting things to make sense. But for the first time since I was abducted, I didn't hurt. I still had one of my headaches and my jaw was sore (did I grinded my teeth at night?) but that was all. I didn't _hurt _anymore. If I stood up right then, I would be able to walk without a limp.

I needed to use the bathroom, but Eric's grip around me was strong. I pushed back Eric's fluffy blankets that were wrapped cocoon like around us. For someone who didn't need the warmth he certainly had a huge heap of them on his bed. His soft and smooth sheets were also helping to keep me in bed, now that I could enjoy them. I wouldn't be shocked to find out that they were Egyptian cotton or a high thread count something. I couldn't tell you with certainty, I never had the pleasure. The mattress was soft too—but without it being _too_ soft. _The first one was too soft, the next too hard_, I thought randomly. I willed myself out of bed, and after some creative maneuvering, I got free of Eric's arms…which did me a fat lot of good because the room was so pitch black and unknown, and I was still reluctant to get out of the bed.

Finally sucking up enough of the Stackhouse courage, I fumbled my way through the dark in the direction I thought was right. My knees were still wobbly from all of the adrenalin that was going through my system from my nightmare, but in this case, there was no point in sparring myself a couple of stubbed toes. I would definitely be asking for a bedside lamp though. After a few more moments of blindly groping, I finally made it to the bathroom and found the light switch.

After I finished my business, I should've looked over all of my injuries, just to see if I really was a healed as I felt, but I just couldn't. My color did looked better though and all of my cuts on my face were healed. Good thing I had an appointment with Dr. Ludwig on Sunday to get my stitches out. I saw the bottle of my painkillers on the counter next to a glass of water. Eric must have left them there for me. I dumped them into toilet.

I latched the closet door to make Eric's bedroom light tight and then slipped out into the hall. Once I had reached the main part of the house, I realized how late it was. The house let in a lot of light from its numerous windows but that light was starting to take on the orange color of late afternoon. Eric would be getting up soon.

I poked around in the fridge for something to eat until I heard something really loud behind me; I must have jumped up five feet into the air, and I rethought my position on getting sick. Eric's house was too quiet. Any noise would have started me, simply because I wasn't expecting it.

The source was my cell phone attached to its charger, dangling over the edge still plugged into an outlet just above the counter. Eric must have plugged it in when I was wrapped up in my exploration of the house. (That embarrassed me a little, I really should have been a better guest and have let him given me a tour.) The settings on my phone made it vibrate instead of ring. When it went off, it must have vibrated itself off the counter and caused the noise that scared the crap out of me.

I flipped it open and saw that I had a few missed calls and several new voice mails.

"Hey Sook," Amelia said on the first one. "I was just wondering if you wanted me to clean out your fridge or if you want me to seal it up? If I seal it up, it was keep the food from spoiling as long as it's sealed but once that seal is broken it will play catch up. It's just if you don't think this will take too long then it could save you some food in the long run or give you a nasty surprise when you got home. Call me back. Love you." Amelia sounded much better now that she could focus on something. I went to the next message.

"Ms. Stackhouse." I didn't recognize the voice as such but the greeting clued me in on the caller. It was direct and stern. "This is Dr. Ludwig. I am calling concerning your appointment on Sunday. Please call me back." I saved the voice mail so I could jot down the number when I could find a pad of paper. After my behavior last night, I didn't want to go digging through Eric's things. He didn't have a house phone so I wasn't sure where to begin to look.

"Hey, it's me again!" Amelia's voice came through. "I decided just to toss everything that would go bad in the next week or so. I also scrubbed out the rest of the fridge before I sealed it. Call me. Love you. Take care!"

"Sookie." My cousin, Claude, rude as ever. Claude was from my fairy side of the family and frankly, I was surprised that I was hearing from him. I though Claude had gone with the rest of them. "I need you to call me. I have a business matter to discuss with you." I saved this one as well for the number, though I was pretty sure it saved into my phone.

"Hey, me again," came Amelia's voice once again. This was the call that triggered the vibration that caused the phone to fall over. "Just letting you know that the house is sealed and protected and that I'm taking off. Call me back. Love you. Bye!"

Guess Amelia gets called back first. She had left me three voice mails and her number was saved in my phone. I also just wanted to talk to her the most.

"Hey Stackhouse," she answered. I could tell she was driving with the top down on her mustang.

"Hey Broadway," I replied. "Just calling you back. You didn't have to clean out the fridge." I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be back in a week, but it would be pretty annoyed if this was all taken care of in a night and my milk and eggs had been tossed.

"Yeah, but you really wouldn't want to have to deal with it the fridge if you were gone for two months. I speak from experience." After a beat, "So how are things there?"

"They are…different from what I expected."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I'm at Eric's and it's kind of…cozy here."

"Cozy?" I could hear her raise her eyebrow in doubt.

"I mean, it's definitely a bachelor pad, and it's definitely Eric, but it's not all of the crap for the tourist that he has at the bar. The bar seems more like Eric if he had to market himself."

"That is what he's doing. Fangtasia is nothing but a tourist trap and everyone seems knows it but the fangbangers." I guess I made some noise of disgust because Amelia asked, "What was that for?"

After hesitating for a second, I decided to come clean. "I'm not sure if whatever is going on between me and Eric will be able to survive this."

"Survive what, exactly?"

"I would say it's the living with each other part, but I think it's actually going to be having to watch him play his role or whatever at Fangtasia."

"The role of a Viking sex god?"

I snorted at that. "Something like that. I know that it's his business and if Eric and I are going to make an attempt at this, then I just need to accept that. But it won't be easy if I have to sit in Fangtasia every night watching him getting fawned over."

"Jealous?" She didn't make it sound like I was being catty. Amelia was just trying to sort out my thought process.

"Until Bill and I started dating, I never thought I would be the jealous type, but it's hard to remain indifferent when you know your significant other has had lifetimes of sleeping with whoever it pleased him, and I've only had a handful of men."

"You wish you could have been a little wilder in your youth?" Amelia would certainly know a thing or two about being wild. Like how our old cat only recently got turned back into the man he was before him and Amelia had hooked up one night.

"Not at all," I said with a level of finality. "Not only wouldn't that have been possible, but I don't like that my 'number' goes beyond one. But there is a certain level of inadequacy."

"Eric might like the attention but he isn't really into fangbangers beyond lunch."

"I know…but that doesn't mean I like watching a size four with big boobs throwing herself at him on a regular basis. And it's not like he's been 'lunching' on me."

"He hasn't fed from you?" It had gotten quieter on Amelia's end. She must have put the top up.

"Nope. Not since he last spent the night."

"Have you brought it up?"

"I've been too much of a chicken. I'm assuming he's been eating at the bar but that doesn't mean I want to know about it."

"Sook, you've been out of commission for the last few weeks, and it would be just food for him. I actually would be pissed at him if he was feeding off of you in your state."

"God, I hope it's just food. I know it's Eric and I knew what he's like well before we started this, but I'm not sure I could stomach knowing that he sleeping with the fangbangers."

"Have to talked to him about this?"

Eric and I talked a little about our relationship in my bed once. "Kind of, sort of…?"

"Sookie…" her tone, unquestionably, was chastising, "you should talk to him about this. Even if he's not going to change his habits, then at least you would know that before you get in to deep with him."

"I know, but right before the fairy thing got really serious, things between us were good. And before this mess with Felipe de Castro, things were good, once you take out the fact that I felt like shit. I don't want to ruin that." It was a poor excuse, but hey, it was true.

"But how will you feel if in six months you find out he's been sleeping with all of those fangbangers?" I didn't respond but it would feel exactly like it did when my ex went back to his own ex. "You need to talk to him about this. Even if it hurts now, it will make it hurt less down the line."

"I will. After things settle down. I don't want to have to deal with mine and Eric's relationship issues if I'm going to be stuck here for awhile."

"So in the meantime, does that just mean you and Eric are just fuck buddies?"

"Amelia!" I exclaimed, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks. Amelia was always blunt and honest (to a fault), but I never in my life imagined I would ever be described like that.

"I know that was harsh. And I'm sorry, but if he's sleeping around on you and you're okay with that, that's what you would be. You need to talk to him."

"I've got to go. I have another call I need to make. Thanks for taking care of the house."

"Sookie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be a bitch. You don't have to go." She sounded genuinely apologetic but I could feel the tears prickling in my eyes. My Gran would have been ashamed of me if that what my close friends thought my relationship with Eric.

"Yeah, I do. I need to call Claude back, and I want to do it before Eric gets up."

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean that to be as harsh as it came out. It's just…you really should talk to him about all of this, instead of worrying about it with me."

"I know. I really should go though."

"Sookie, take care of yourself, please. And call me later this week if you get a chance."

"Okay, I will. And send me a text when you get into New Orleans." I may have been hurt by her words, but I still cared for Amelia and wanted to make sure she was safe.

"Okay. Bye, telepath."

"Bye, witch." And I hit the end button.

I went through my missed calls and listed was 'Claude.' Guess I did have him number.

"Speak," came my cousin's haughty voice after the second ring. He really didn't have any manners.

"Hey, it's Sookie calling you back."

"Yes, I need to meet up with you. We need to discuss your inheritance."

"My what?"

Claude sighed as if he was seriously being put upon. "My sister had told me if anything were to happen to her, she wished for you to be taken care of since you were her charge. Half of Hooligan's is yours now and you need to sign some paperwork."

"Oh." Best thing I could thing of to say at that point.

"If you can meet me at the club sometime we can get this taken care of. Do not bring that vampire of yours along."

"Claude, I wouldn't bring Eric along to meet with a fairy—no matter how rude that fairy might be," I snapped. Amelia's comment had put me in a bad mood and Claude was never easy to deal with. "But I don't expect you to give me part of your club. That's your thing. I don't need it." That was a lie, but I didn't really want Claude as my business partner, and I especially didn't want to be the owner of a strip club.

"Claudine made it clear that she wanted you that have a source of income were something to happen to you. She wanted a way to take care of you, if she wasn't around to do it herself."

"Getting together might be difficult…I'm not in Bon Temps right now and things are sort of hectic in my life."

"This is nothing new. Your life is always hectic, Sookie. You find trouble, no matter what."

"It's not like I go looking for it."

"Yes it is." Claude's voice went colder than usual. "I know because my sister would tell me. Some of the worst things that have happened to you are because you don't say no. You don't ask for help. You can't just leave things alone. Even your unfortunate dealing with your uncle could have been avoided if you were just a little more cautious and not so set in your ways. Your vampire made it very clear he would have done anything to protect you, but you waited until it was too late."

"That's not true, Claude! I called Eric for help and he sent Bubba! I called in favors from everyone I knew and they still got me! I had a vampire right behind me when they took me! What else could have been done?" I wasn't quite yelling into the phone but my voice had certainly gotten loud.

"Run, Sookie. The smartest, safest thing you could have done was to just have retreated. But instead you had to stay in your house, afraid to look afraid." He didn't say anything for a while, like he was waiting for a reply. He wasn't getting one. I was too upset to say anything at that moment so I would just use up his (and my own) minutes on our cell phones until he decided to say something. "You're upset now, and I don't deal with hysterical humans. Call me when you are calmer and we can arrange something to get this paperwork signed." The line went dead.

I stood there in Eric's kitchen for a good long while, too angry to move. This wasn't starting off as a good day for me.

There was something that Eric said last night, coupled with what Claude had said, and it was starting to bother me. There was iron surrounding this house. In the frame (though I wasn't sure what that would do) and in the fence that surrounded the house. This house might not be able to keep out fairies, but it could certainly dissuade them. If I had just listened to Eric when he asked me to come here, people might be alive still.

My pulse began to race and my breathing was getting shallower. I pushed it down. Going to pieces wasn't going to bring them back or make me okay. It would do the opposite of making me okay.

I got up, determined to move forward beyond my two bad conversations, and I wandered into the living room that I had mostly ignored the night before since there weren't any lights turned on. Now in daylight I could see that the décor matched the family room, and the couch was even the same as the brown suede one I had curled up with Eric last night. The same plush brown carpet in Eric's room was in the floor in here. The room also doubled up as an office for Eric. There was floor to ceiling bookcases on every wall (that wasn't occupied with yet another fireplace and the wall of windows). A desk was pushed up against the back of the couch that wasn't against a wall. It had a computer on it, but I couldn't tell you if it was high tech or not. It looked impressive.

I began searching through the books. I didn't have a library card in Shreveport, and I couldn't spend my time just watching TV. Half of the books were either in another language (and there was more than one language, I was sure of that) or they didn't have a title on the spine and looked too old for me to just pick up and check. There were also a whole lot of business books. That amused me. Eric just seemed so confident in his business prowess that I couldn't really imagine him needing to study. There was even a copy of "Small-businesses for Dummies." There were also several rows of 'Dracula.' They varied in age and quality. Some were ancient hardbound books and some were just old paperbacks that Eric might have just picked up at the grocery story.

_Shit. Shit-shit-shit-shit._ February 8th was just around the corner. Felipe de Castro sure picked a great time to pull all of this crap. Not only was I going to have to deal with Eric night in, night out, I would have to deal with him acting like a lunatic. Pam didn't even have enough patience with him during last year's Dracula night, I'm not sure I could cut it.

I was so wrapped up in my musings that I didn't hear Eric walk into the room until he was right behind me. He didn't say anything at first, not even an apology for startling me. He just picked me up off the ground and conducted a once over my body with an inscrutable face making me feel very self-conscious. When I tried covering myself, Eric just held my arm out away from my body. When he had finished, his face relaxed. "Much better," he said offering a small smile.

"I feel better too."

"That's good because we need to be at Fangtasia tonight. Friday's our biggest night and I would be missed. We can't raise too many eyebrows."

A knot tightened up in my stomach and I thought back to my conversation with Amelia and the fangbangers. This wasn't going to be a fun night. We got ready after that, falling back into the routine we had developed at my house. After I had broken up with my ex, Bill Compton, I hadn't shared my life like this with someone, and it was not something I entirely expected from Eric. Amelia meant well, but there was no way I was going to mess this up.

I made myself a small bowl of cereal while Eric drank a blood. I wasn't in a breakfast mood since it was the evening, but it was one of things that I had enough around to make. When I finished, I washed my bowl in the sink and washed out Eric's bottle then threw it into recycling bin. I grabbed my purse and we walked out the kitchen door.

With the light from the kitchen on, I noticed a second car on the furthest end of the three-car garage that I couldn't see the night before. Though the light was dim, it looked pretty shiny and new. It was blue, and I think a Toyota.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing to the car.

Eric sneered. "Proof that I indulge my child too much."

"It looks nice." I said trying to sound neutral and smooth over whatever nerve I had hit.

"If you like, take it." Eric made it sound like I was doing him a favor and not like he was trying to give me a car.

"I can't take a car from you Eric," I said firmly (and a little annoyed). We slipped into the low seats of Eric's corvette. It was a nice car but I bet the blue car would be far more comfortable.

"It would replace your car which has now been through two major accidents that I'm aware of." At least he didn't call my car crappy this time.

"Both which were your fault." As we backed out of the garage, I saw the telltale silver and blue emblem.

"You own a Prius?" I tried to hide my snigger. I failed. If I had to pick a car I would expect Eric to own, that would be the last one.

"Pam talked me into buying that…thing. She said that because vampires need to be more conscious of our carbon footprint. Take the car, Sookie. It's taking up space in my garage." Eric muttered something in a language I couldn't recognize.

"I can't take a car from you, Eric." It was hard to sound stern when I was trying not to laugh at him. "You're just stuck with in."

He looked at me then. "There you are."

"What do you mean?" I asked. Last I check I hadn't gone anywhere.

"It's good to hear you laugh, lover," Eric looked pensive but then a little wry. "Even if it's at me."

Twenty minutes later we were parking around the back of Eric's bar in what I have come to consider his parking spot. It wasn't even a spot. In the distance past, it had actually been three spots, but the lines had been faded for so long that you could only make that guess in the day light. Eric paid no mind to these relic-parking lines and parked in any odd angle as he felt like. Pam's own Toyota was right next to his. _Not a Prius though,_ I though wickedly. This was probably one of Pam's tricks, and I was glad I wasn't on the receiving end for once.

We walked into the bar through the employee's entrance. I followed Eric into his office simply because I had nowhere else to go really. Eric sat at his desk and I sat on his couch.

"Are you planning on working here during your stay in Shreveport?" Eric asked me while going through some mail. 'My stay in Shreveport'…that was rich. He made it sound like this wasn't me fleeing for my life.

"I'm not sure. Fangtasia is not exactly like Merlotte's. Do I have to be here every night you're here?"

"Yes."

"Is there anyway that I don't have to spend my nights here with you?"

"No," was the stony reply.

"Eric, people back in Bon Temps already think I'm just a fangbanger. If I start working here, it'd be hard to convince them otherwise."

"Who do you know from your town that comes to Fangtasia?" he asked speculatively.

"People from Bon Temps have come here before. That's how we met after all."

"Anyone you could meet here has no right to judge if they are here themselves."

I sighed. "There's just too much going on right now. Maybe I'll just use this time to take a break from my life where I'm not working for someone else. Have a real vacation, not just time off where I'm just working for someone else. It won't last. I'll be bored out of my mind soon enough, but right now I don't have a definite answer for you."

Eric did that things vamps do where they wipe their face of all emotion. "This is contrary to what you told me a few weeks ago when I asked you to come here."

"Yes, but then you were asking me to drop my whole life just to run away with you. Now, my whole life has been dropped for me." I said quietly. I rallied myself. No sulking. "I have a small nest egg from the Rhodes money so I'll still be paying my own way, and if I have to come here regularly anyway, I can use that time to get my shields back in order." I would have mentioned what Claudine had left for me, but I wasn't sure I wanted to keep that money. I was the reason she wasn't around to use it herself.

"Let me know once you figure it out. There is paperwork that needs to be done and I'll need to get you onto our group plan."

"Eric, you don't have to get me insurance," I sighed. It was always an uphill battle with him on something.

"No, I don't have to get any of my employees insurance, but I do. It's good business. There is paperwork that takes time to process, so I need to know when you figure it out."

This actually made sense and was so 'typical Eric' that he probably wasn't trying to pull something conniving to get his way.

"Is there anything I can do in the meantime?" I was just looking for a way to abandon my thoughts for a while.

"Nothing that I can think of. Pam," he called though his voice hadn't changed tone at all. Didn't matter. Eric's second was walking into the office almost instantly even though I'd seen her working the front when we had walked in. "You can go out into the bar and get yourself something to drink. Be around people if you wish, but Pam or one of my people will be with you out front at all times."

"Hello, my friend," Pam greeted me.

"Do I really need a guard, even when I'm in your own bar?" I asked. At least I didn't stamp my foot.

"You can stay back here with me while I work on payroll." Eric's voice was laced with threat. Bill had set up a computer program for Eric to track everyone's hours, and I'd been around for that meeting. Eric liked what technology could do for him, but he really hated dealing with technology himself. After a vampire embezzled from him and his accountant had a nervous breakdown, Eric didn't trust anyone else with the book keeping.

"That's enough encouragement for me to get out of here."

"Tell Felicia that whatever she wants goes on my tab," Eric told Pam. I walked out of his office biting my tongue, not wanting to start a fight.

I sat down on a stool near at the bar. Felicia immediately started to look at me like I was the plague itself. Great. I really needed to remember to thank Pam for all of this. This would be the vampire who I'll be forced to get all of my drinks from for an indefinite period of time and a potential co-worker.

"I need to work the door for a while since none of the others are adapt at doing it when we are this busy. Felicia, you are responsible for her." Oh, great. Pam walked away and left me alone with the bartender.

Felicia was a striking vampire and must have been even as a human. She was a mix of something that you just couldn't sort out exactly what, but you really didn't mind the results. She was very tall, and I was surprised to see that she wasn't dressed the standard garb of the Fangtasia vampires. It was the standard all black and it certainly was a sexy outfit, but it could also could look almost business nice. It certainly was different from the leather and lace number that I could see Pam wearing at the door (who normally favored soccer-mom chic).

I wondered if Felicia got to wear whatever as long as it was with the clientele's expectations. Or maybe this was just a night that I happen to see her not in something a little more…well, tacky was the word that came to mind but I would never say that to Eric or Pam.

"Hi, Felicia," I said trying to smile at her.

"Yes?" she replied with an ice in her voice mixed with weariness.

"I want something to drink, but I'm not sure what. Could you help me figure it out?" I wanted to try to strike up a conversation with Felicia and smooth over some of our tension, but didn't know much about her other than she was a bartender. I definitely wanted something harder than a coke and most of the orders I got at Merlotte's was for beer or whiskey, neither were to my taste. I didn't want my usual gin and tonic. I once had a champagne cocktail but that seemed a bit much for Fangtasia.

"I personally like A negative," she replied. I waited to see if she was going to follow that up as if it was a joke, but no. That was her suggestion. That was a lot of help. Felicia wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

"I was thinking of something a little sweeter and for humans." Blunt was the best approach here. "What do you get a lot of orders for?"

"There is a drink called an appletini that many human girls drink." I've seen a lot appletini's at Merlotte's. When Sex and the City was all the craze, Maxine Fortenberry used to order them all the time. Personally, I thought the drink was a color that was nature's way of saying 'beware', like those colorful tree frogs.

"I'm familiar with it, but don't really think it's my thing. What else can you make?" I smiled at her, trying my best to make it sound as if she was doing me a favor and not actually waiting on me. I never got why Eric thought it was a good idea to have vampires work in the service industry. I was also seriously reconsidering ordering a drink for Felicia. At all. Ever.

"I could make you my girlfriend's favorite."

"Is it green?"

"No."

"Then, sure, why not?" It was something new to try and I then could stop bothering Felicia.

The drink I got was in a pint glass and had some kind of golden beer or something in it. There were also flecks of something floating around in it, but it was too dark in the bar to see what. The whole thing didn't really look appealing but I didn't want to seem ungrateful so I took a hesitant sip from my glass. It was sweet and cinnamon-y with just a bit of a crisp taste. It reminded me of apple pie.

"Wow, Felicia, this is wonderful!" I tried to smile at her again, but she just scared me a little too much so the smile came out a bit deranged.

"I appreciate you passing me over and killing Clancy instead. He was unpleasant."

Oh, shit. Is that what she thought happened? When I first met Felicia, Pam told her that she needed to come and beg for my mercy. If she didn't, I was going to kill her like I did the rest of the bartenders. While, yes, in the two and a half years that I had been coming to Fangtasia, all of the bartenders had finally died in a way that was some how connected to me. But, it wasn't my fault. Mostly…Clancy may have been my fault. However, it wasn't because I wanted him dead.

"Yes, well, it's a great drink."

I turned away from her and looked around the bar. What was a pretty busy night for Merlotte's was a down right hectic night at Fangtasia. Almost all of the vamps that were under contract to work for Eric was there. That of course brought out all of the fangbangers and the tourist. The place was packed and everyone was thinking about sex or alcohol or both. My shielding still wasn't great and everyone's thoughts just bounced around in my head, catching snippets of a thought here and there.

Feeling great because of my quick recovery and Eric's blood (and nearly having sex with Eric on his kitchen floor didn't hurt) certainly was good because normally I wouldn't be able to handle a crowd like this. Since my state of mind affected my telepathy, I took drinks out of my glass that weren't really ladylike. I'm not a drinker so it doesn't take much get me drunk, but I would take what relief I could. After my second drink, I was feeling pleasantly numb. I should've slowed down since I didn't know what was in these things but I was enjoying the hazy quality of everyone's thought.

The alcohol helped me from becoming too self-conscience. All of the vampires were watching me like a hawk tonight. Eric really made sure all of his people were going to take care of me. The fangbangers noticed me too but that was because they thought Eric must be here if I was. My stomach churned. The alcohol also explains why I decided to talk Felicia when she refilled my drink again.

"Can you believe him, Felicia?" I blurted out.

"Can I believe who?"

"Eric," I grumbled.

"Yes, I can believe him, I think. I have never known him to lie," Felicia said straight faced.

"No, I mean. There I was, just trying to move on from that whole freaking mess and then he sweeps in and drags me off. Then, when he says he has to be here, he just locks himself up in his office with me out here."

"Eric has had very little patience with the tourists and fangbangers lately. He needs to be here, but it's better he's not out on the floor. It encourages Talia to misbehave. Why are you sitting out here complaining if you wish to see him? I heard nothing that said he didn't want you in there with him." How the hell did she know? Oh yeah, vampire hearing.

"I just can't be around him right now. Maybe Quinn was right."

"I do not know this Quinn unless if you speak of the were-tiger banned from Area 5."

"The very same. He said Eric would never choose me." Crushing sadness wash over me. Maybe I had thrown a good man out of my life for a man who'd do the same thing and would just be a bigger jerk about it. I tried not to cry for Felicia's sake. She might not know how to react (or try to lick the tears off). I hid the few that escaped behind my glass. "What do you think Felicia?"

"I think even the most fearsome human is quite amusing when she's drunk."

"Oh yes, I'm ferocious," I said dryly.

"Eric has been busy for many weeks now making plans that have been to protect you."

Well, la-de-da. Weeks? Fat lot of good it did. I was still tortured and now whisked away for my "protection."

"I want to go home." But I couldn't. Coupled with my revelation that had I done what Eric had asked me to, people would still be alive, and I really didn't want to risk anyone's life who just might cross my path, I was stuck here until the danger passed.

"Being on your own is unsafe for you right now," Pam chimed in, right at my shoulders. When did she sneak up from behind me? The line must be manageable now. "Prudence is wise."

"I know that," I snapped back.

"Think of him what you will, but Eric is trying to protect you. Even if that means from yourself."

"What does that mean? Is Eric just trying to look after me because he thinks that I'm some danger to myself? Because he's so much worse for me when he just jerks me around."

"No, Sookie. The danger is real and we are all at risk here." She paused and looked at me hard. "You're not usually like this," Pam said, and looked over my head. "How much have you given her?"

"That's her third," I heard Felicia reply.

Pam looked down at me. With me sitting on the bar stool, it was one of the few times she'd ever been taller than me. "Wait here. I'll go get Eric."

"No, don't." I went to grab her hand to stop her, but at the last second I pulled back. Grabbing Pam was a smart choice. It didn't matter. Pam stopped anyway. "I just want to go home, Pam."

"Sookie, you have no idea how much we put at risk but keeping you safe. This isn't just some territory squabble and we don't have any political back up here other than just the law. De Castro has gotten it in his head he can pull a stunt like this and we don't know where he will stop."

"Then, I'll lock myself in the house. I'll quit my job. I don't want anyone caught up in this."

"I'm not trying to scare you. We're trying to protect you. You can't live your life as a shut in."

"I'd rather be a prisoner in my own house knowing that you all are safe." My face contorted with a grim smile. The fear and loneliness of that thought conquered the last traces of my anger. Is that what my life had come down to? Were my options now wait alone, a prisoner in my home, or wait with Eric, risking his and his people's lives, but trapped in his bar? I rested my head in my arms.

"I once told Sam that I didn't regret getting involved with vampires because my life before had been nothing worth writing home about. But, if I hadn't gotten involved with vampires then I wouldn't have to write home at all! I would be there with my Gran who'd still be alive. I'd be curled up in my old room right now with my cat cuddled up with me." I was definitely throwing myself a pity party. I really should find out how much alcoholic whatever it was I was drinking was.

"Yes, your grandmother might be alive but your bother might not be." I picked my head back up. Pam was looking down at me again, but with kindness in her eyes. She nearly looked maternal which was very odd because physically, she looked 10 years younger that me. "He very well could have died when he had been taken by that were-panther, but was saved because you knew of the supe world."

I guess she was right. Looking closer at Crystal Norris's family wouldn't have occurred to me until it might have been too late and even then, they would have just shut me out.

"Sophie-Anne would have just taken you if you hadn't started dating Bill. What would that have done to your grandmother?" she asked me.

She was right about that too thanks to my cousin's big mouth.

"Eric and myself would be dead were it not for you. A lot more people would have died, too, if not for you. We are trying to do for you what you have done for us. And the fairies would have found you eventually, with or without our involvement. There was a reason Niall went through Eric first."

"News to me," I said (or I might have slurred it a bit). I had thought once that it was odd that Niall knew Eric but then forgot about it because I had just found out that he was my great-grandfather. "What's the reason then?"

"That is for Eric to tell you Sookie."

"You vamps and your stupid secrets," I muttered though I know Pam could hear me, even over WDED playing 'Possum Kingdom'. Excuse me for being annoyed but I couldn't tell you how many times had a vampire kept something from me and it came back to bite me in the ass.

"Let me take you to Eric's office, where you can sleep it off," Pam told me.

"Leave me alone, Pam. I just was trying to make the best of my night."

She raised an eyebrow up. "By drinking alone?"

"If that's what I want, you should just let me do it."

"Is that what you want Sookie?" I picked up my drink and finished the rest of it to answer her. "Fine. I'll leave you to it. Just don't fall asleep on the bar."

A couple of minutes after Pam had walked away, I felt terrible. I really shouldn't have spoken to her like that. Not when her whole point was that while I might be miserable, the vamps were just trying to help.

I walked (stumbled) to the back and into Eric's office without knocking. He looked up from whatever paper work he was working on. His brows shot up in surprise. Must not be used to people just walking in.

"I need to lay down in here. I need to away from people right now." Definitely a good idea. I had fights with three different people today. It would be safer for the world if I just avoided any conversation.

I curled up onto Eric's black leather couch.

Eric was looking at me with amusement. I closed my eyes for a moment. It helped keep the world from getting all spin-y.

"Come on, I'm taking you home," a male voice said, and I could feel myself floating at that point. I tried to open my eyes to see why and who was talking to me, but that just made the world woozy. I better keep them closed. It must be later because the music had stopped. Or I had gone deaf. Wait, that wouldn't make sense since I had just heard a man speak. I was calm because the voice said home. It was a nice thought, but it showed how little the man knew.

"Can't take me home. Eric won't let me go," I murmured. I felt a vibration against my cheek.

I heard loud clicking noise and then a woman's voice said, "Eric…worse."

"I know, but de Castro knows about…so th-…much I could do. With us ap-…targets. I'm ba-…as it is. An-….-ing fairy still around…" Maybe I was going deaf. I could hear their voices but I couldn't really comprehend a lot of the words. The alcohol was a really, really bad idea. There was something there I should have asked about. Apparently, I'm a poor conversationalist when I'm drunk because I couldn't keep up with half of the conversation, and it's bad-mannered to just jump in and ask questions about a conversation you're not apart of.

"What do we…" said the woman.

"We give her time. She's strong."

Despite it being rude, I went back to the state of nothingness I had been in before.

…_**To be continued**_

_Sorry about the delay. I was caught up with midterm papers. Updates will probably continue to be slow until winter break._

_Thinking of doing an experiment with this story. There are several scenes within this fic where Sookie is either not around or has a limited view of what's going on. There are also a couple of side scenes that just don't fit into the plot right. I write these scenes out so that I know what's going on and I pick and choose what gets left in (see the above scene). Would there be interest in these small scenes getting posted (probably as their own fic)? I'll warn you that they won't necessarily get posted along with the chapter/scene it corresponds with. I typically leave Sookie's view vague for a reason and I wouldn't want to ruin the fun early. _:)

_Thanks again to s. meadows for her enormous help and her wonderful comments. This wouldn't read nearly as well as it does if not for her (stupid commas). Thanks to the lovely as always, Kami for sharing some calamari and some fangirly cheer._

_And thanks to you, for keeping up with this story so far. I really do enjoy all of the comments, reviews, adds, PM's, and e-mails I've been getting. I try to reply back to the really thoughtful messages that have been left that strike a cord with me and all the comments have certainly help me think about where this story is going and has helped me with the characters. If I haven't replied back to yours, it's because I feel the best way to show you how much I appreciate it, is to be able to post as soon as I can. Every review makes my fingers move a little faster._


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